Youth Empowerment Program (YEP)
The Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) is a guaranteed income pilot launched July 1, 2024 by Unity Care, a foster-youth nonprofit, in partnership with the City of San Jose. It provided 51 homeless or at-risk-of-homelessness young adults in San Jose, most of them former foster youth, with $1,100 per month for 18 months alongside 1:1 coaching and financial literacy workshops. The program was funded through the City of San Jose partnership and administered by Unity Care, with Excite Credit Union supporting financial coaching and direct deposit. Disbursements were scheduled to run through December 2025.
Foster Youth, Homelessness Prevention, Young Adults, Credit Union Partnership, Santa Clara County GI Ecosystem
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Unity Care (The Unity Care Group), in partnership with the City of San Jose
- City
- San Jose
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Website
- https://www.unitycare.org/
- Phone
- +1 408 971 9822
- info@unitycare.org
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 51
- Funding type
- Government, Nonprofit
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 19,800 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 1,100 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 18 months
- Distribution Type
- Direct deposit to bank account (via Excite Credit Union)
- Benefit details
Participants received $1,100/month for 18 months as unrestricted cash, plus regular 1:1 coaching and monthly workshops on professional development, independent living skills, and financial literacy. Excite Credit Union supported financial coaching, credit building, and long-term financial planning for participants. Payments were distributed via direct deposit.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligible participants were young adults ages 18-24 residing in San Jose who were homeless or at risk of homelessness. The majority of participants were former foster youth transitioning out of care, and the program also explicitly served youth transitioning from the juvenile justice system.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
- Maximum age
- 24
Family
- Family Status
- Foster Youth
Housing
- Housing status
- Homeless
Justice
- Justice involvement status
- Juvenile Justice
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- San Jose
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Complementary program enrollment required
- 1:1 coaching, financial literacy and independent living skills workshops, credit-building support via Excite Credit Union
- Research / participation requirements
Seed data indicates an internal/informal evaluation was planned for 2026, but no independent evaluation report, methodology, or published findings could be located as of this research.
Application Process
- How to apply
No public open application process was identified; participants appear to be referred/enrolled through Unity Care's existing foster-youth and homelessness-prevention client services (client referral line 408-971-9822 ext. 1000). Could not confirm a self-service application portal.
- Selection process
Not publicly documented in available sources; selection appears tied to Unity Care's existing caseload of homeless/at-risk young adults, most with foster care backgrounds, in San Jose.
